Zhangjiakou
(Hebei Online)
Updated: 2004-07-16 13:48

Zhangjiakou, located in the northwest of Hebei, 199 kilometers away from Beijing, is the border area of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.

As the site of Chinese earliest ancestor's civilization, the city of Huangdi (Emperor Huangdi) in Zhuolu is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation. Jiming moumtain in Xiahuayuan is the embodiment of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucianist cultures.

Jimingyi was the first big post station on the way to Beijing and all the classified papers and important news were transferred here in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The site of Zhongdu of the Yuan Dynasty in Zhangbei, which connected Mobei grasslands in the north and the central plains in the south, was once a hub of communications and a place of military importance.

Qingyuan(Bell) Tower has always enjoyed the reputation of being related to "Huanghe (Yellow Crane) Tower" The ruts left about 500 years ago are historic witness of the ancient prefecture of Xuanhua. Dajingmen Gate witnessed the prosperity and downfall of the frontier tea-horse trade in the Ming Dynasty. In 1909, the first railway, i.e. Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway designed and built under the supervision of Zhan Tianyou was open to traffic, which made merchants both home and abroad gather in the leather metropolis, i.e. Zhangjiakou. It became an important commercial port because of the well-known leather, lamb and dried mushroom.

In 1945, the Eighth Route Army recovered Zhangjiakou, the first big city captured from the Japanese invaders. It became the political, military, economic and cultural center in Shanxi-Chahaer-Hebei Border Area and enjoyed the reputation of being "the second Yan'sn" "the cultural city" "the model city in the east" etc.

In 1948 Zhangjiakou was liberated for the second time and became the capital city of Chahaer.

In May 1995, with the sanction of the State Council, Zhangjiakou became an open city and tourism has been gradually developed. There are 90 historical and cultural sites at province level and above, 12 of which are under state protection, 99 sites of ancient city walls, 2 famous historical and cultural towns at province level, 6 provincial forest parks and 3 provincial nature preservation zones. In Zhangjiakou there are more than 50 scenic spots and 5 holiday resorts at province level, and 16 travel agencies with good service.
Zhangjiakou consists of Bashang and Baxia. Zhangbei, Shangyi, Guyuan, and Kangbao, lying in the Inner Mongolia Plateau, 1,300 to 1,500 meters above sea level, are important component parts of Inner Mongolia grassland and natural ecological scenic spots.

You can wear the traditional colourful suits of the Mongolians and ride horses on the grassland. You can taste the roast lamb and the milk products in the yurts. Oat rolls in lamb soup are also delicious. Folk songs played on the Matouqin (a bowed stringed instrument with a scroll carved like a horse's head, used by the Mongolians) by the Mongolian young people are sweet and pleasant.

It is also very interesting to accept hada (a piece of silk, usually. white in colour, used as a greeting gift among the Tibet and Mongol nationalities) or just try the Mongolian folk dances. You can admire the scenery of grassland in the frigid - temperate zone to your heart's content.

Chongli and Chicheng lie in the intermediate zone with the distinctive climate. The snowy season begins in late September. Snow here is about one meter deep and can stay for 150 days. Cuiyun Hill Holiday Resort and Saibei skiing field are famous skiing resorts in the north.

No.1 Spring Out side the Shanhaiguan Pass in Chicheng is well-known throughout the country. Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, represented by Lingzhen Temple in Jinge Mountain and Zhaoyang Temple, are believed in simultaneously in the area, resulting in a special cultural phenomenon.

The Qiaodong District and the Qiaoxi District of Zhangjiakou Municipality lie in the urban district of Zhangjiakou. There are many business streets in the Qiaoxi District, such as Wucheng Street, Yi'sn Street, Desheng Street, Mingde Street, etc.

Various kinds of specialities of Zhangjiakou are available here, such as dried mushroom, fern, millet of tribute, almonds, grapes, Great Wall dry white wine and dry red wine, Chaigoubu smoked pork, Huaian thin sheet of bean curd, Yuxian paper-cut, Yingge mung beans, etc. Zhangjiakou boasts its local delicacies, such as flaky pancakes, oat rolls in lamb soup, potato products (in the shape of fish), fried cakes (made of glutinous broomcom millet flour), roast lamb and genuine instant-boiled mutton, etc.

They are delicious and you can eat to your full. Xinhua Buil ding, Yingbin Guesthouse, Xindalu Hotel, Zhangjiakou Hotel, Tianfushanzhen Hotel, Hengbin Hotel etc offer high-grade and standard accommodation, various tastes of food and many kinds of entertainments.

The 7 counties and 2 districts of Baxia lie in the south of Zhangjiakou. Huailai county is the hometown of Dong Cunrui, the famous combat hero. It teems with Jinsi dates, Shipian apricots, Baleng crabapples and Longyan grapes. Tianmo desert is an exterior base of film and television. Parts of the exteriors are filmed here in more than 100 film and television products, such as Pilgrimage to the West.

When the dam of Guanting reservoir draws off water, tourists can go drifting for 10 kilometers down the Yongding River. It is thrilling but not dangerous. Yuxian is a historical and cultural town, famous for its folk art (papercut), and also the hometown of Ma Yubao, one of the five Langya Mountain revolutionary martyrs. There are Yuxian yangge (a popular rural folk dance) and various kinds of traditional festivities.

Visitors from all parts of the country and the world are welcome to Zhangjiakou, a new developing tourist city. In case you need help in your tour, please dial the phone number of Zhangjiakou Tourist Bureau: 86-313-2037793.

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